Amidst the brilliant performances of Arsenal, and the major downfall of Chelsea and Liverpool, the incredible rise of Newcastle United has not warranted the attention it deserves. The charismatic Eddie Howe made immediate improvements to Newcastle United after being appointed in November 2021. However, this season he has taken them to a different level. The Magpies are currently in third with 39 points to their name and are now in the final of the EFL Cup.
Their opponent in the final are Manchester United, a team experiencing a resurgence of their own under new manager Erik Ten Hag. The Red Devils are currently tied on points with Newcastle in the league and along with Everton are the only team in the league to beat league-leaders Arsenal this season.
And now the two teams will square off to win their first trophy of the season. Their only meeting in the season came back in October, where the two teams shared the points after a goalless draw. However, on February 26, there will be a winner and a loser.
There has been only one previous instance where the two teams met in the EFL Cup. It was in 2012 when the Red Devils won the match 2-1 with goals from Anderson and Tom Cleverley.
But what do the stats say about the two sides before the big clash? We explain.
EFL Cup history
The two teams have contrasting histories when it comes to the EFL Cup. The Red Devils have won the competition five times in 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, and 2016–17. The last of these came under Jose Mourinho when they completed the treble by also winning the UEFA Europa League and Community Shield.
Their five titles make them the joint third most successful club in the history of the competition, on level with Aston Villa and Chelsea.
On the other hand, Newcastle have yet to win the competition and have only reached the final on one occasion, 47 years back.
In the current campaign, Manchester United have been in imperious form. After winning their match 4-2 against Aston Villa, United kept clean sheets in the next four games scoring ten goals in the process. Marcus Rashford, who has been in imperious form this season, is the club’s and the tournament’s top-scorer. Even winter transfer window signing Wout Weghorst has scored a goal in the competition.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have had to face more resistance in their run to the final. After winning their first match 2-1 against Tranmere Rovers, the Magpies needed a penalty shootout to knock out Crystal…
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